Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The Azerbaijanis living in Armenia and people of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and adjacent regions are feeling relief in Azerbaijan after the forced deportation from their lands by Armenian forces.

Resolving the problems of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDP) has been among the main priorities of Azerbaijan's government in recent years.

Immediately after taking power, former President Heydar Aliyev called the issue the most vital problem that the country was facing. To this end, he adopted various measures to overcome the concerns of the refugees and IDPs.

"Problems of the citizens who were displaced and forced to live far from their homelands is the number one problem for us and personally for me," he said.

Aliyev's greatest desire was to liberate the occupied lands. He did his best to achieve this goal.

Coming to power in 2003 President Ilham Aliyev followed his father's footstep. Therefore, the issue played a leading role in his election campaign in 2013.

Long-lasting and unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict represents the deep problem that the prospering Azerbaijan is grappling with. The issue poses a social challenge for the country.

The abolition of IDP-camps in the country and improvement of the living conditions of the refugees and IDPs were among the major achievements of the government.

After the country's successful oil strategy bore fruits, the first funds obtained from it were directed to the improvement of the living conditions of refugees and IDPs. large-scale work was done to abolish the IDP-camps.

In an exclusive interview with AzerNews, the Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and IDPs Fuad Huseynov said that resolving the problems of the countrymen, who were displaced from their native lands because of Armenian armed forces' military aggression against Azerbaijan, have been the focus of the government's attentions since the early day of occupation.

Huseynov said that the State Program on improvement of living conditions of refugees and IDPs and their employment opportunities approved by a Presidential Decree in 2004 and Annexes approved by Presidential Decrees in 2007 and 2011, were successfully implemented in 2013.

Re-settlement of refugees and IDPs

Azerbaijani government attaches a special attention to the settlement of a problem of refugees and IDPs. It has taken various steps to provide them with new, modern apartments.

Huseynov said that the new settlements were built for IDPs in years 2001-2003 by the first funds allocated by the State Oil Fund, which enabled the government to demolish five IDP-camps in Beylagan region in 2003 and to provide 1,330 refugee and 5,081 IDP families with new houses.

The works paid off and 12 tent camps as well as 12 of 16 Finnish type pre-fab settlements were demolished in Azerbaijan by the end of 2007. The remaining four settlements will be demolished soon and new modern settlements will be erected instead, according to Huseynov.

The IDPs who used to live in the dormitories, unfinished and unsafe buildings in difficult and miserable situation were relocated to the new settlements.

Huseynov said the IDPs living in the dormitories of the Baku State University, in Mingachevir city and the dormitories of the Azerbaijan State Oil Academy, in Gabala, Barda, Ismayilli and Imishli regions were also moved to the new settlements.

Also, the construction of new settlements for the IDPs is underway in various parts of the country.

Huseynov noted that the construction of 114 houses for the Ahiska (Meskhetian) Turks has been completed with 3.5 million manats (about $4.4 million) from the state budget. The Ahiska Turks are ethnic Turks formerly inhabiting the Meskheti region of Georgia, along the border with Turkey.

Besides, the amount of the funds allocated for the refugees and IDPs has been increased during the recent years.

Huseynov noted that for the improvement of living conditions of refugees and IDPs, 368 million manats (about $470 million) - 300 million manats (about $382 million) from the State Oil Fund and 68 million manats (about $87 million) from the budget and investment expenditures, was allocated in 2013, which is 18 times more than in 2003.

"Over the past 10 years, 77 contemporary settlements with all social and technical infrastructure were built leading to the improvements of the housing and living conditions of 37,000 IDPs families," he said.

Huseynov further said during 2001-2013, 82 modern settlements were built with all social and technical infrastructures with 1.6 million manats (about $2 million) from the State Oil Fund and other sources.

He added that so far, the housing and living conditions of 40,000 refugee and IDP families have been improved.

Solution of social problems of refugees and IDPs

Along with improvement of living conditions of refugees and IDPs, the Azerbaijani government has also taken numerous measures to solve their social and communal problems during the recent years.

The government granted a number of compensations and privileges for every refugee and IDP. Every year, the government allocates funds for ensuring the utility expenditures of IDPs. It also exempts refugees and IDPs from the education expenditures.

Huseynov said the amount of special allowances and compensation payment for public utilities stood at 1,100 manats (about $1,400) per IDP in 2013, which is the highest figure compared with the other conflict zones around the world.

He noted that only in 2013 over 90 million manats (about $115 million) were allocated for the utility expenditures of IDPs.

He went on to say that some humanitarian and development projects amounting 24 million manats (about $30 million) have been carried out by 42 international and 45 local humanitarian organizations. Their activities were coordinated by the Republican Commission on International Humanitarian Assistance during 2013.

"To resolve the social problems of refugees and IDPs, 637 million manats (about $812 million)- 299 million manats (about $381 million) from the budget, 300 million manats (about $382 million) from State Oil Fund, 24 million manast (about $30 million) from international organizations and 14 million manats (about $18million) from the other organizations - were allocated in 2013, which is 528 million manats (about $673 million) or 5.8 times more than in 2003," Huseynov said.

He said 4.4 billion manats (about $5.6 million) were spent during 1993-2013 for resolving the social problems of refugees and IDPs. He noted that two billion manats of these funds were provided by state budget, 1.5 billion manats (about $1.9 million) by State Oil Fund, and 0.9 billion manats (about $1.1 million) by the international financing institutions and other international organizations operating in the country.

Poverty decreases

Meanwhile, resolving the unemployment problem of the refugees and IDPs and creation of new jobs for them is in the spotlight of the government.

Huseynov emphasized that the poverty level among the IDPs has sharply decreased, dropping to 15 percent from 75 percent in the last 10 years.

The government also takes various measures to help the IDP entrepreneurs to develop their businesses.

Huseynov said 37.2 million manats (about $47 million) were allocated for financing of the investment projects of 1,841 IDP entrepreneurships during the last 10 years. Meanwhile, 5 million manats (about $6.3 million) were given to the 307 IDP entrepreneurs in 2013 as a loan by National Fund for Entrepreneurship Support under the Azerbaijan's Economy and Industry Ministry.

He noted that the Social Fund for Development of IDPs of Azerbaijan implemented 31 different types of community-based micro projects worth of 2.58 million manats (about $3.3 million) in 16 cities and regions of the country as part of the loan agreement between the World Bank and the Azerbaijan government ("IDPs Economic Development Support Project"). 16,000 people benefited from the implementation of community micro-projects.

Huseynov also voiced regret that despite the measures taken so far, a considerable number of IDPs still lives in public buildings, dormitories, health camps and other temporary places unsuitable for accommodation in difficult conditions and face a lot of social problems.

However, he assured that the measures to improve the living conditions and to resolve the social problems of the refugees and IDPs will continue to be implemented on time and successfully.

The bloody war, which flared up in the late 1980s due to Armenia's territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor, left 700,000 civilians of Nagorno-Karabakh and the regions adjoining it, as well as the regions bordering with Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh without homes.

They are temporarily settled in more than 1,600 settlements across 62 cities and regions of Azerbaijan.

Moreover, 250,000 Azerbaijanis were expelled from Armenia and became refugees due to Armenia's ethnic cleansing policy after the emergence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijanis who had displaced from their homes as result of the brutal war were forces to live in refugee camps, tents and wagons in very difficult conditions.

The Azerbaijani government has turned the refugee and IDP problem into its high priority and adopted numerous programs to improve their living conditions.